News Center

State lawmakers call for end to family deportations from Berks ICE facility

(Dec 02, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

Legislators ask for release of families, children in face of COVID pandemic, unsanitary conditions Read more

 

Return your ballot or find your polling place

(Oct 30, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

With the Nov. 3 General Election just days away, here is a few tips to help you make sure your vote counts. Read more

 

Census deadline is tomorrow, critical funding is on the line

(Oct 14, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

$675 billion in funding are dependent on your response Read more

 

Burgos, House Democratic Policy Committee hold hearing on driver’s licenses for ITIN holders

(Sep 23, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

HARRISBURG, Sept. 23 – State Rep. Danilo Burgos, D-Phila., on Tuesday chaired a public hearing on legislation he introduced, H.B. 2835 , that would extend the privilege to obtain a driver’s license to undocumented Pennsylvanians. The hearing featured testimony from advocates, policy experts and undocumented residents about the importance of his legislation to Pennsylvania’s economy and workforce. “Throughout this pandemic, countless undocumented Pennsylvanians have sacrificed their lives, and the lives of their families, filling the role of essential workers to ensure communities across the commonwealth aren’t without critical supplies,” Burgos said. “ We express our gratitude for their labor during this time, but it falls flat when we fail to make them feel like esteemed members of our community. My legislation would provide them—our neighbors—with the safety and the dignity they deserve. “From an economic perspective, the revenue generated from application costs to PennDOT and purchases on car insurance policies would greatly benefit Pennsylvania’s economy -- a much needed relief as our economy struggles to gain stability during this crisis,” he said. Burgos’ legislation would allow people without a Social Security number to apply for a driver's license or learner's permit using secure alternatives such as a federal taxpayer identification Read more

 

9/22/20 – House Bill 2835 – Harrisburg

(Sep 22, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

Materials from a House Democratic Policy Committee public hearing held in the Capitol and co-chaired by State Rep. Danilo Burgos. Read more

 

House Democratic Policy Committee to hold hearing on Driver’s License for ITIN holders Tuesday in Capitol

(Sep 17, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

HARRISBURG, Sept. 17 – State Rep. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, announced today that the House Democratic Policy Committee will hold a public hearing on H.B. 2835 , which would allow individual taxpayer identification number holders to apply for a driver’s license. The hearing will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22 in Room G-50 Irvis Office Building in Harrisburg. The media and public are urged to watch the livestream at www.pahouse.com/live . Requested by state Rep. Danilo Burgos, D-Phila, the hearing will feature testimony from policy experts and ITIN holders about the importance of his legislation to Pennsylvania’s economy and workforce. Testifiers will speak remotely while members will participate in person and remotely. Testifiers will include: Luis Larin , statewide coordinator, Driving PA Forward Coalition. Desi Burnette , statewide coordinator, Movement of Immigrant Leaders PA. Olga Velasquez , member, Casa San Jose (Pittsburgh). Dewa Sukma , member, New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia. Diana Polson , policy analyst, Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center. Justina Almontes , member, CATA-The Farmworker Support Committee. Guillermo Perez , president, LCLAA Pittsburgh. Casey Stokes , social worker, John Harris High School. Karen Gardner , policy associate, National Young Farmers Read more

 

Burgos, Hohenstein and Isaacson join advocates to promote legislation to help undocumented individuals apply for a driver's license

(Sep 08, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

HARRISBURG, Sept. 8 – State Rep. Danilo Burgos, along with state Reps. Joe Hohenstein, Mary Isaacson, all D-Phila., today joined the Driving PA Forward Coalition at the Saint Francis of Assisi Church to highlight their legislation to help undocumented individuals apply for a driver's license. “Our bill is about making Pennsylvania roads safer by requiring that all residents pass the mandatory written and vision examinations and road test to obtain a driver’s license,” Burgos said. “An additional benefit is that the revenue generated from application costs to PennDOT and purchases on car insurance policies would greatly benefit Pennsylvania’s economy -- a much needed relief as our economy struggles to gain stability in the wake of the pandemic.” Concurring with Burgos, Hohenstein pointed to immigrants comprising a substantial population of Pennsylvania’s workforce, especially as essential workers during the pandemic. "It’s not an exaggeration to say that immigrants have a large role in keeping our country running," Hohenstein said. "One in six people fulfilling essential roles during the pandemic is an immigrant. Many are our doctors, nurses and healthcare providers. Others are farm workers who sow, tend and harvest our food. Others prepare and serve us our food. All should have access to an official driver's license from the state in order to continue Read more

 

Police Reform Working Group issues statement on House Republican Policy hearing on law enforcement; calls for further legislative action

(Aug 27, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

The Police Reform Working Group, a collection of local and state elected officials and advocates, issued the following statement in response to a Pennsylvania House Republican Policy Committee hearing on law enforcement interactions with the community:“We appreciate the House Republican Policy Committee shining a light on how law enforcement interacts with communities around the state. This is a necessary discussion that is long overdue and it’s encouraging to hear presenters today acknowledge that police reform is necessary. Read more

 

Alivio a restaurantes, bares y clubes para ayudar a los trabajadores una prioridad en el Paquete Legislativo Democrático de la Cámara

(Jul 28, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

HARRISBURG, 28 de julio - Citando los impactos que COVID-19 está teniendo en la industria de restaurantes de Pennsylvania y una reciente encuesta de Yelp que muestra que más de la mitad de los restaurantes podrían estar cerrados permanentemente debido al impacto del virus, los demócratas en Harrisburg han redactado un paquete legislativo destinado a proporcionar alivio a los dueños de negocios en Pennsylvania. El paquete incluye nueve proyectos de ley que proporcionar subsidios a restaurantes locales, bares y clubes; reducir y eliminar las tasas de licencia específicas; extender descuentos a los licenciatarios; y proteger a las empresas asegurando que su seguro paga en futuras emergencias. Estos esfuerzos proporcionarán alivio directo a una industria empresarial de Pennsylvania que el virus ha golpeado duro, dijeron los líderes demócratas de la Cámara. Las restricciones establecidas han sido necesarias en la respuesta del estado a COVID-19. Los líderes dijeron que reconocen las dificultades que el virus ha seguido planteando en la industria de restaurantes. Los restaurantes han servido como telón de fondo para muchas ocasiones de la vida y momentos especiales y necesitan apoyo ahora más que nunca. El paquete demócrata de la Cámara incluye: CARES otorga fondos del gobierno federal a pequeños restaurantes en lugar de Read more

 

Police Reform Working Group issues statement on Vice President Pence’s visit with the Fraternal Order of Police

(Jul 09, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

In response to Vice President Mike Pence visiting with the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 5, the Police Reform Working Group, made up of state and county elected officials and advocates, released the following statement:“As members of the Police Reform Working Group, we believe that the path to achieving community safety and racial justice in Pennsylvania must be two-fold. First, we must improve our current system of policing through accountability, oversight, and tangible policy changes that will diminish instances of police brutality against all citizens, but especially against the Black community. Second, we must work with communities to transform and re-envision policing itself through bold systemic changes that center around those most impacted by police violence and structural racism. Read more

 

Burgos stomps out disaster declaration termination rumors

(Jun 11, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

HARRISBURG, June 11 – State Rep. Danilo Burgos, D-Phila., today issued a statement quelling the misinformation that Gov. Tom Wolf’s emergency disaster declaration was eliminated. Burgos’ statement follows a widespread rumor claiming that the passage of H.R. 836 – a resolution that only aims to end the declaration – in the House and Senate means that the legislation has now become law. “My office has received many, many calls asking about the validity of this hearsay, while some also have taken to blindly sharing an image that erroneously declares that the declaration has been terminated because it passed both chambers,” Burgos said. “To dispel those rumors, I want to make it clear that the emergency declaration disaster is still in effect and all Pennsylvanians are still required to follow the guidelines set by the state Department of Health to continue to help curb spreading the virus. This especially means wearing masks and practicing proper social distancing while out in public and running essential errands.” Burgos reiterated that the resolution’s passage does not make it a law and highlighted the dire consequences that H.R. 836 carries. “It requires a signature by the governor to be binding, and Governor Wolf has adamantly expressed that he intends to veto the resolution because it not only puts countless lives at risk, but it also stands to inflict Read more

 

Police Reform Working Group looks forward to working with Mayor Kenney

(Jun 09, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

The Police Reform Working Group, a collection of elected officials and advocates working to bring accountability and transparency reforms to law enforcement, released the following statement in response to Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney’s commitment to police reform: “To bring about true and meaningful law enforcement reform, we must work together with leaders at all levels of government so the voices of those we represent can be heard and forward-thinking change achieved. We’ve already had several conversations with Mayor Kenney’s administration and those discussions have been promising. We appreciate the mayor’s willingness to listen and believe that his announcement today is the first step in what will be a long, but productive, journey to reform. Read more

 

Police Reform Working Group releases statement on progress toward reform

(Jun 04, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

The Police Reform Working Group, a collection of elected officials and advocates working to bring accountability and transparency reforms to law enforcement, released the following statement on Gov. Tom Wolf’s adoption today of their request for a state-level deputy inspector general aimed at improving law enforcement conduct, as well as Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s, along with the Fraternal Order of Police’s, support of a confidential database to track complaints against police officers: Read more

 

Philadelphia elected officials call for state, local reform of community-police relationships

(Jun 02, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

In the midst of civil unrest across Pennsylvania ignited by the murder of George Floyd, elected officials from Philadelphia introduced a series of much-needed reforms aimed at improving community/police relationships. Read more

 

Burgos condemns PennAg Industries VP for insensitive migrant workers comments

(May 28, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

HARRISBURG, May 28 – State Rep. Danilo Burgos, D-Phila., today issued a statement condemning comments made by PennAg Industries Executive Vice President Christian Herr about immigrant migrant agriculture workers during a House Agricultural & Rural Affairs Committee meeting on Tuesday. Herr, during a committee discussion about the vulnerability of farming employees —a workforce mostly comprised of migrants -- temporarily residing in farm labor camp housing in the wake of the pandemic, said that “ethnic families, close-knit families ride the buses to these facilities together,” describing their lengthy travels to commercial food processing facilities for employment that involves working for long hours and for low pay, while living in subpar employer-sponsored housing conditions as “cultural in many ways.” Burgos said he was deeply angered by Herr’s remarks, calling them insensitive and dehumanizing. He also said Herr’s assertion that the overrepresentation of migrants enduring these exploitative practices are their customary traditions absolves perpetrators instituting this predation of any accountability. “I am deeply disturbed that Herr is so morally bankrupt that he’s able to causally contort the systemic exploitation of marginalized people-- desperately trying to survive and provide for their families-- performing physically taxing labor in exchange for a pittance Read more

 

Rep. Burgos, Democratic colleagues, urge Supreme Court to protect residents from evictions and foreclosure during the COVID-19 pandemic

(May 14, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

HARRISBURG, May 14 – State Rep. Danilo Burgos, D-Phila., today, with dozens of House and Senate colleagues, sent a letter to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to urge the court to issue an order to stave off evictions and foreclosures for 90 days after a county is moved from the “red” to the “yellow” phase by Gov. Tom Wolf and his administration. Currently, an executive order from the governor extends a stay on foreclosures and evictions through July 10. “The governor’s order to delay evictions and foreclosures is a start, but we must consider the many Pennsylvanians who have been struggling to make ends meet during this pandemic. Many will be fiscally stunted, and realistically, the timeframe for many to gradually recoup their finances after months of lacking steady income will surpass July,” Burgos said. “We can’t allow families and small business trying to gain financial stability relive the stresses, or even experience the reality of losing their homes and livelihoods, which is why we are calling on the Supreme Court to enact this deferment.” With the support of many other lawmakers in both chambers, the letter highlights a shared concern that COVID-19 could continue to cause serious challenges for many Pennsylvanians whose counties were among the first to shut down and will remain in the red phase for a longer period of time. The order would cover commercial properties also to ensure Read more

 

Reps. Kenyatta, Burgos and Fiedler urge Congress to include undocumented workers in any COVID-19 response legislation

(Apr 17, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

HARRISBURG, April 17 – State Reps. Malcolm Kenyatta, Danilo Burgos and Elizabeth Fiedler, all D-Phila., introduced a resolution urging Congress to also acknowledge the roughly 10 million undocumented workers in any COVID-19 financial response legislation. The resolution comes as the federal government issues portions of the historic $2 trillion financial assistance package to individuals and businesses to help mitigate the adverse economic impacts resulting from the pandemic. “There are roughly over 10 million undocumented people living in America paying billions of dollars in state and federal taxes yearly, yet many will never benefit from the services they constantly contribute to,” said Kenyatta, who represents the 181 st Legislative District. “In this time of desperation, our government should not be complicit in watching this vulnerable population that has time and again proven themselves to be a pillar of America’s economy continue to suffer.” Burgos, representing the 197 th District, concurred with Kenyatta saying, “Undocumented immigrants consistently pay about 8 percent of their income in taxes, a sizeable percentage for many who are relegated to working low-paying jobs with no benefits. These workers produce many of the essential goods we heavily rely on, even more so during this pandemic, yet they receive nothing for their labor.” Adding to Burgos’ assertion, Read more

 

COVID-19 Resources and Information

(Mar 22, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

** Below is a list of informational links for resources in and around Philadelphia related to COVID-19. This will be updated as more/new information becomes available ** The latest info on COVID-19 cases and other data statewide from the Pennsylvania Department of Health : https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx The latest information on COVID-19 cases and other data in Philadelphia from the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health : https://www.phila.gov/services/mental-physical-health/environmental-health-hazards/covid-19/ The Philadelphia Department of Public Health has activated a Greater Philadelphia Coronavirus Helpline . It’s available 24/7. If you have questions about symptoms and risk factors, what to do if you think you may have been exposed, testing resources, or recommendations for social distancing, you can contact the helpline at 1-800-722-7112. More info: https://www.phila.gov/2020-03-14-greater-philadelphia-coronavirus-helpline-opened-by-health/?fbclid=IwAR2HZUc0yYdy66IMO4nrx8g4Z8vKMHE9qWUXmmLDe3OZFIjVhiwGDu0ZFIo List of essential Philadelphia services and how to access them: https://www.phila.gov/2020-03-18-essential-city-services-remain-open-here-is-how-to-access-them/?mc_cid=7f7be1d618&mc_eid=eda5e48c86 . Information about how SEPTA is operating: http://www.septa.org/service/rail/midday-schedule.html Information about how Amtrak is Read more

 

Philadelphia House leadership, legislators, call on Governor Tom Wolf to halt all Public Utility Commission utility disconnections in wake of the COVID-19 virus

(Mar 13, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

PHILADELPHIA, Mar. 12 – Members of Philadelphia leadership team in the state House were joined by fellow Philadelphia legislators in asking Gov. Tom Wolf to place a moratorium on the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission from further utility shutoffs for the foreseeable future for all Pennsylvanians in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Philadelphia members in leadership positions, including Reps. Jordan Harris, Democratic whip; Joanna McClinton, Democratic chairwoman; Rosita Youngblood, Democratic secretary; Jason Dawkins, Philadelphia Delegation chairman; Stephen Kinsey, Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus chairman; and Jim Roebuck, Education Committee chairman, were joined by Philadelphia Reps. Donna Bullock, Morgan Cephas, Joe Hohenstein, Malcolm Kenyatta, Brian Sims, Maria Donatucci, Danilo Burgos, Isabella Fitzgerald, Mike Driscoll, Mary Isaacson, Pam DeLissio, Chris Rabb, Elizabeth Fiedler, Jared Solomon and Kevin Boyle in issuing the following statement: “The COVID-19 virus situation is literally evolving by the hour in Pennsylvania as we continue in what’s a situation many Pennsylvanians have never experienced. Many of our neediest residents have life-saving medical equipment that they use in their home, and it’s of the utmost importance that they have consistent access to that equipment through their electric utility. Our emergency rooms and first responders can’t be asked to spend finite resources on Read more

 

Burgos Spring 2020 Newsletter

(Feb 25, 2020) Rep. Danilo Burgos

Stay up-to-date on what's happening around our community and my work on your behalf in Harrisburg! Read more

 

State lawmakers call for end to family deportations from Berks ICE facility
Dec 02, 2020

Return your ballot or find your polling place
Oct 30, 2020

Census deadline is tomorrow, critical funding is on the line
Oct 14, 2020

Burgos, House Democratic Policy Committee hold hearing on driver’s licenses for ITIN holders
Sep 23, 2020

9/22/20 – House Bill 2835 – Harrisburg
Sep 22, 2020

House Democratic Policy Committee to hold hearing on Driver’s License for ITIN holders Tuesday in Capitol
Sep 17, 2020

Burgos, Hohenstein and Isaacson join advocates to promote legislation to help undocumented individuals apply for a driver's license
Sep 08, 2020

Police Reform Working Group issues statement on House Republican Policy hearing on law enforcement; calls for further legislative action
Aug 27, 2020

Alivio a restaurantes, bares y clubes para ayudar a los trabajadores una prioridad en el Paquete Legislativo Democrático de la Cámara
Jul 28, 2020

Police Reform Working Group issues statement on Vice President Pence’s visit with the Fraternal Order of Police
Jul 09, 2020

Burgos stomps out disaster declaration termination rumors
Jun 11, 2020

Police Reform Working Group looks forward to working with Mayor Kenney
Jun 09, 2020

Police Reform Working Group releases statement on progress toward reform
Jun 04, 2020

Philadelphia elected officials call for state, local reform of community-police relationships
Jun 02, 2020

Burgos condemns PennAg Industries VP for insensitive migrant workers comments
May 28, 2020

Rep. Burgos, Democratic colleagues, urge Supreme Court to protect residents from evictions and foreclosure during the COVID-19 pandemic
May 14, 2020

Reps. Kenyatta, Burgos and Fiedler urge Congress to include undocumented workers in any COVID-19 response legislation
Apr 17, 2020

COVID-19 Resources and Information
Mar 22, 2020

Philadelphia House leadership, legislators, call on Governor Tom Wolf to halt all Public Utility Commission utility disconnections in wake of the COVID-19 virus
Mar 13, 2020

Burgos Spring 2020 Newsletter
Feb 25, 2020